Vampire (BBC)
A vampire (also known as a Type 1) is a post-human supernatural being who is cursed with a constant craving to kill and drink the blood of other people. Some vampires choose to fight this urge and avoid feeding, however the majority choose to kill and feed off as many victims as possible. Vampirism is passed on when a human is bitten by a vampire, in a process known as recruiting. When this happens, the person becomes immortal and cannot die naturally, however he or she will be cursed with a constant thirst for human blood. Normally, vampires are indistinguishable from humans, however when they are thristy for blood their canine teeth grow longer to form fangs and their entire eyeball turns black. There is no known cure for vampirism, although vampires can give up blood, although this is extremely difficult. Infection , a vampire bitten in 1916.]]When a human is bitten by a vampire, they are not automatically infected. On the point of death, they must be fed the blood of the vampire who had bitten them. The person is then clinically dead for a few hours. During this time, they have visions of 'horrible things' which have not been described in detail. On reawakening, the person is officially pronounced a vampire and will feel an immediate craving for blood. After this point, the vampire's body will not age and will retain the appearance it had on the day of recruition. Vampires are capable of living for hundreds of years but it is unknown if a vampire can ever die of old age. The vampire's mind will also stay as mature as it was on the day he or she was bitten, for example, the vampire Adam Jacobs, despite being forty-six, behaved like an adolescent as he was infected when he was sixteen. It is normal for the infector to look after and care for the new vampire, for example the vampires William Herrick and John Mitchell kept a close partnership for over fifty years after Herrick had bitten Mitchell during the First World War. The fact that Mitchell did not do this for Lauren Drake, a vampire he infected, is seen as harsh and poor form by Herrick. Characteristics Abilities An absence of blood in the diet of vampires is not fatal for vampires, although they will have an intense craving for it. This craving has been shown to cause extreme physical pain and cramps, and seems to be far worse than the redrawal symptoms caused by addiction to any other substance. It does not seem to be the blood itself that quenches the vampires' thirst but the life that is drained from the human. It has been shown that blood older than a few hours has little effect on satisfying a vampire's hunger and is not seen as a viable alternative. Vampires' image cannot be captured by any sort of film, camera or mirror. In actuality this can be either a strength or a weakness depending on the situation; a strength in that their image cannot be traced photographically through the ages but can reveal them in situations in which a mirror image or photograph is expected such as a photographic ID card. Therefore it is vitally important that vampires are not arrested after killing their victims as this would mean a mug shot would have to be taken, blowing their cover. Vampires can also sense whether a werewolf is present purely by their smell and can also see other supernatural beings such as ghosts. Weaknesses Vampires can survive in sunlight, although they tend to stay covered up. Mitchell is often seen in daylight wearing heavy coats and sunglasses, even when it is not necessary to where such items. Vampires are repelled by religious symbols or writings, almost to the point of pain. These symbols can be of any religion. An example of this is when George Sands and a priest forced a pair of vampires to retreat using George's Star of David and quotes from Bible passages. George used his Star of David necklace against vampire Seth and even the powerful Herrick, forcing each away from him. However, the symbol's effectiveness is at least partailly controlled by the owner's feelings. If the owner is feels affection for a vampire, the symbol will not affect them. This is explained by Herrick, as George was curious how Mitchell can happily look after the necklace. If there are more vampires than religious items, the symbol's power is also weakened. Vampires are also unable to walk on consecrated ground, such as a church or any other place of worship. When George shows the resurrected Herrick, who forgot he was a vampire, the Star of David necklace again, Herrick is undisturbed. Vampires cannot enter a private building unless they have been invited. When Herrick tries to get into Mitchell's house, he is stuck on the threshold pushing against an invisible barrier. It is yet unknown if garlic has any effect, however George has joked about it. A stake through the heart can turn a vampire to ash. A vampire can only be killed by a wooden stake through the heart. When this happens, they experience a human-like death which can include blood loss and organ failure before turning to ash, leaving just their clothes behind. The only other way that a vampire can be killed is if they are suffer extreme injuries, such as those caused by a werewolf attack or an explosion. Relationships with other supernatural species Werewolves Vampires and werewolves have been shown to have a very hostile relationship with each other, seemingly lasting millenia. Most of the time they have a contempt for each other. Even in relatively civil interactions werewolves are seen as something dirty and unclean by vampires. Werewolves George Sands and Nina Pickering are often subject to dog-related insults as are other werewolves. Vampires commonly see werewolves as being below them and can tell by smell a werewolf is present. The vampire Adam Jacobs is initially disgusted by George and Nina. When Nina and George try to sit down in the home of two vampires, one of the vampires puts down some newspaper down over the sofa. However on a few occasions, werewolves have been subject to violence from vampires. When George and Mitchell first met, George was being brutally attacked by some vampires that Mitchell was forced to fight off. Some vampires have even been known to kidnap werewolves for 'dog fights' in which they force them to fight each other or humans in their wolf form. Ghosts Vampires have a small amount of awe and fascination towards ghosts. A vampire curiously questions the ghost of Annie Sawyer on what it is like being a ghost and continues to politely ask her other questions. It may be the fact that vampires are practically dead and so have a connection with the spirit world. List of Vampires BBC *Adam *Bernie *Kara *Herrick *Lauren *Mitchell *Seth *George's tormentors *Daisy *Ivan Category:Supernatural Beings *